An Italian restaurant in Cambridge, UK has been accused of alleged Islamophobia and racism for refusing service of Pakistani actress and philanthropist Nadia Jamil and her father.
Nadia took to the micro blogging site Twitter to express her shock and outrage at the incident which she attributed to blatant racism.
She wrote that Italian restaurant in Main Market Square refused service to her father and her. Pointing out the fact that her father had a beard and she was brown, she claimed that it was a racist refusal of service. Due to the growing trend of Islamophobia in the west such incidents have become commonplace.
1st racist encounter in England. #DonPascual Italian restaurant in Main Market Square refused 2 serve Aba & me & asked us 2 leave!His beard!
— Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) August 21, 2017
“1st racist encounter in England. #DonPascual Italian restaurant in Main Market Square refused 2 serve Aba & me & asked us 2 leave! His beard!,” she wrote.
Due to the growing trend of Islamophobia in the west such incidents have become commonplace. However, the restaurant denied Jamil’s claims of refusal of service on the basis of religious prejudice and racial profiling. The Twitter handle of the restaurant denied there was any directive from management to deny people entry based on their race.
Don't believe all you read on Twitter. We did not refuse service @NJLahori. We welcome all
— Pasquale Benedetto (@thedonpasquale) August 21, 2017
Enraged by the restaurant’s lack of remorse, Jamil further clarified how she was refused service and then asked to leave.
You were taking orders from everyone outside but asked me to go give my own.Didnt give a menu.Snatched it out of our hands.Told us 2 leave!! https://t.co/NyTtDTFNVh
— Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) August 21, 2017
Her tweets caused an outrage on social media where angry fans and activists called for the Italian restaurant to clarify the situation.
Many users including journalists and politicians took to social media to express their reservations and demanded the restaurant to provide authenticate account of the incident:
Where? In London? JJ hardly has a beard!
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) August 21, 2017
What the hell
— Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) August 21, 2017
The restaurant denied the allegations and tweeted that they have never discriminated on the basis of color, cast, religion or appearance in their forty years of trade and that the accusations were highly unfair.
There are two sides to every story. pic.twitter.com/RV5to4iYOc
— Pasquale Benedetto (@thedonpasquale) August 21, 2017
An hour later, they released their complete version of how the incident unraveled. The restaurant claimed that due to lack of staff, Nadia was not immediately provided the menus when she took a seat outside. She then entered the restaurant and asked if she was ever going to get service and went back to her seat. Because she was so impatient, she was provided the menus quickly then asked that whenever she was ready, she simply come inside and order. She was told to order herself to aid a quick service to her. She took offence and started shouting that she was being refused service on the basis of her race while all the white people were being served. Her father took a bottle out from his bag and threatened the staff with it. To this, they were asked to leave because they were distressing the staff as well as the customers.
This is a TRUE depiction of the event from earlier today pic.twitter.com/lYcFEM4fhS
— Pasquale Benedetto (@thedonpasquale) August 21, 2017
Jamil refused that any of the aforementioned events took place and released her own version of the story later. According to her, upon sitting outside, they were approached by an aggressive man who told them that they should go inside when they want to order. A while later, when a waitress came to take their order, the man stopped her and told her that they can go inside and order themselves. Jamil asked whether she was being refused service due to the color of her skin. Upon questioning, the menus were snatched from her and she was asked to leave. The man called her appearance annoying and the waitress tried to propel her out. She was outraged but her father told her to calm down.
What really happened today at @thedonpasquale where my 73 year old cancer patient father was humiliated & disrespected pic.twitter.com/iCBNzQXOv3
— Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) August 21, 2017
2/ what really happened during one of the most aggressive experiences I've had in England ever. pic.twitter.com/GBbOREfSrP
— Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) August 21, 2017
3/ continuation of the details of what happened today. Ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/wRGPtXb1u5
— Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) August 21, 2017
The restaurant has not responded to this account of the incident yet.
